Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 7

Castiel sat beside Viola in the garden beside the church of the nunnery under the oak tree and felt the warm of her hand seep into his and suddenly felt unworthy. He couldn't understand why she would want to be like him. He was a disgrace of an angel. He had rebelled against Heaven and had grown to doubt his own Father. He was a poor example of an angel of the Lord. He felt he didn't deserve her compliment.

"Viola, you should know that I am no longer an angel of Heaven. You should not try and emulate me."

He then removed his hand and stood up to leave, but Viola stopped him when she said, "But you're for humanity, right? That's why you're working with the brothers, isn't it?"

Cas paused and replied, "Yes. I don't agree with Heaven's decision to bring about the Apocalypse. Some of the higher ranking angels have decided this without Father's consent."

"So, you're doing things on your own?"

"Yes."

The angel watched in confusion as Viola just shook her head and smiled. She got up from the bench and reached over to take his hand again and this time she gave it a light squeeze. "Then, I still want to become an angel like you…that is, if it happens."

"Viola, I—"

Suddenly, a bell began to chime over the loudspeakers and signaled for the end of the class period. Viola abruptly let go of Cas' hand and said, "Damn, I've got to go. See you later."

She then took off and began to run back into the main school buildings, but as she opened the door she bumped into Sister Katherine. The middle-aged nun smiled at her eerily and placed her hand over onto her shoulder.

"Lilly…"

The green-eyed girl smiled at her innocently. "Sister Katherine, I was just heading back to class."

"Well, there's no need for that, honey. I've got a special assignment for you. My, you must be something else if you got yourself your very own angel."

"Angel? What are do you mean?"

Then, in a hard tone the nun spoke to her just as her eyes pooled over black, "Don't play dumb with me, Viola. You'll make the perfect sacrifice for my Master."

Viola was shocked at what she had just seen and let out a blood-chilling scream.

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Meanwhile, out in the garden Castiel watched as Viola ran back to class with uncertainty. He didn't think he was someone anybody should try and imitate. He was a poor example of an angel. He didn't understand Viola's admiration. He was beginning to see Dean's point that she was still very much an innocent. It would be best if they did find a way to remove the power lying dormant within her.

Yet, as he was about to leave he heard a frightening scream come from the main school building. Shocked, he quickly sprang into action and ran to open the door, but once he threw it open he saw that they were already gone.

"Viola!"

Instead, all he saw was a bunch of students crowding around and chatting idly in the halls. In a sea of conformity he looked around trying to find her, but she had completely vanished. All he got in return was a lot of blank stares and flighty giggling.

Annoyed, Castiel fumed and left to gather the Winchesters.

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"Dean!" shouted the agitated angel.

The Winchesters looked up from their resting-places about the hotel room and stared at their friend in curiosity. Sam shut off his laptop while Dean put down his snack and wiped his hands on a towel.

"Hey, Cas. Did you warn Vi?"

"She's been taken. Quickly we must find her before the sun sets or else the demon will sacrifice her and break the seal."

"Woah, she's been taken? I thought you just went to see her?"

"I'm not sure, but I think that may have been the problem. I think my presence may have unnerved the demons and they have decided to target Viola because of her connection to me."

Sam put on his jacket and got his gear and said, "Yeah, but aren't you jumping to conclusions. I mean, she's been there for nearly a week now. Maybe the demons had their eye on her when she got in. She is the bait after all."

Castiel became furious and marched up to Sam and seethed, "Don't call her that."

Dean caught the heat in Cas' eye and went to pat Sammy on the back to break up what was looking like a confrontation in the making. His squeezed his brother's shoulder and inched him towards the door and said, "Come on Sammy we're burning up daylight standing around here talking. Let's go."

"Right," answered Sam with a long look at Castiel suspiciously. He picked up their supplies and exited the room, but Dean hanged back and had a word with Cas.

"What the hell was that about?"

"It's nothing Dean. Drop it."

"No, you were ready to rip somebody's head off. What's the matter with you anyway?"

"I let my guard down, Dean. Viola should never have been taken if I had paid closer attention to the demons. Now, she may perish because of my inadequacy."

Dean couldn't believe his ears. He didn't get why Cas didn't cut himself some slack once in a while. It was like he thought he was God or something. Also since when did he start to give a damn about other human beings? He understood that Sammy was talked out of line, but there wasn't anything to fly off the handle about. It was hard for Dean to admit, but it was true. Vi was bait to the demons. It wasn't their intention. They just needed an inside man—uh, woman, but there was still hope.

"Dude, aren't you being a little over dramatic here? Her numbers not up yet. I mean I know you aren't exactly Mister Sunshine here, but this doom and gloom attitude isn't like you, Cas."

"I suppose you're right, Dean but I think I've come to see Viola as a friend."

Dean smiled and said, "Well, she's my friend too, so let's go help her out."

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By the time that Dean, Sam and Cas made it down to the school it was already getting dark. The sun soon set and they hadn't even found the location of where they hold the ritual yet. Dean parked the Impala just outside the gate of the grounds and got out to take a look around.

"Hmm, looks pretty quite around here to me. Looks like curfew already put a lock down on this place. Cas, do you think you can find these jerks before they throw their little party?"

The angel nodded and "zapped" away leaving the Winchesters alone in the courtyard of the nunnery. They used some gate-cutters from their trunk in break in and scouted the place for any signs of supernatural activity.

"Dean, I think we should go to the most obvious place," suggested Sam.

"Yeah, I was thinking that too, Sammy. I think those demons would get a big kick out of doing their thing inside a church. Kind of sticking it to the man and everything."

"You're right, Dean," said Cas as he appeared out of thin air. "They are preparing to do the ritual in the church's altar. However, the entrances have been sealed. "

Dean replied, "Damn, we need a way in."

Then, unexpectedly the three paused when they saw heading towards the church were another group of men all dressed as clergymen. It seemed the demons had a following. Sam gave his brother a glance and said, "I have a plan. I know how we can get in without being seen."

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Dean grumbled and made a face as he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. He was dressed like a freakn' priest, about to crash a demon party and knew almost nothing about who they were dealing with. It smelled like a plan that was about to go south, but they didn't have much time and all their leads turned up dead ends. It was probably one of Sammy's worst plans ever. And on top of it Cas kept giving him weird looks the whole time after they jumped the three preachers and switched clothes with them.

"I think it suits you, Dean."

Irked, he replied, "Shut up, Cas. Why the heck are all these people here anyway?"

Castiel leaned in and softly reply, "I think they are more sacrifices to the demon."

Sam asked, "Are they demons?"

Cas narrowed his brow and scanned the pews and said, "No. They're all human." He then looked up at Sister Katherine and saw the blackness in eyes and added, "But she isn't. I think the nuns have all been possessed."

"Great," muttered Dean. "She and her gal pals probably want to slaughter the whole lot of them. We're probably standing in a room full of virgins. Where's Viola?"

Sam then looked up at the altar and tapped his brother so he'd see. "Uh, Dean. I think we've found her."

Then, as the three all turned around they saw that Viola was dressed in a white gown while holding a large dagger in her hands and pointing her finger right at them. Her eyes were glassed over and she tilted her head at them curiously.

"You…you are not pure."

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TBC

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